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The history of Potosi Bolivia sees the city being of great importance to the Spanish during colonial times. In fact, this city was where the Spanish colonial mint was located, and in many ways, it helped fuel the Spanish conquest of the Americas. The local mines were already renowned before the Spanish arrived in the 1530's, so it is little wonder that the newcomers flocked to the area. They quickly made Potosi one of their major commercial hubs, and the city grew to become one of the largest cities in the world.

When it comes to historical facts about the Potosi mines, it is interesting to note that they were largely responsible for allowing Spain to become the empire that it did during the colonial era. Records show that from 1556 to 1783, the Spanish brought forth some 45,000 short tons of silver from said mines. The Spanish colonial mint was established in 1572, and around this time, Potosi was home to approximately 200,000 people. Thanks to the wealth that the local mines provided, the city was also home to more than 80 churches around this time and its citizens were known for being rather ostentatious.

The history of Potosi Bolivia as a major source of revenue for the Spanish Crown started to end around the year 1800. This was largely due to the fact that the silver mines were essentially depleted. Due to this depletion, tin took over as the main product. The silver wasn’t fully depleted, however, and it is still mined to this day. The local mines also continue to churn out tin. That being said, this isn’t the wealthy city that it used to be. In fact, these days, the Potosi department is one of the poorest departments in all of Bolivia.

Potosi might not be the wealthy New World hub that it used to be. That doesn’t mean that it has lost its value, however. This is a culturally rich city and can make for an interesting destination to visit during a Bolivia vacation. Some of the city’s mines can be visited on tours. Travelers might also keep the city’s festivals in mind. The annual Festival of Ch’utillos